Bernard Anton, already with about fifty books (novels, short stories, essays, poems …), returns with a collection of stories that all have one thing in common: they tell slices of life in which the characters are destroyed following unhappy encounters, toxic loves, or choices that led them to their downfall. And it is by being at their lowest that they realize how much a simple little spark can bring them back to the light… and towards happiness!
The Muse, by Bernard Anton
"The Muse" by Bernard Anton is a collection of short stories. There are eight of them. Who says news says short story. And this is sometimes where the problem lies, because it is difficult to immerse yourself in a universe, to immerse yourself in a story when it goes too fast. Fortunately, the author Bernard Anton is a follower of the genre, and he knows how to monopolize our attention from the first lines.
"Now that he is retired, completely free, Gustave Marchand decides to take better care of himself and his old age. Coming from a family of blacksmiths for five generations, he is the last of his line to devote himself to this profession in his hometown of six thousand inhabitants, located in a rural area. »Money can't buy happiness
How to resist such a hook? We already know that we are going to love this Gustave, while we still know nothing about him! And it's the same for each of the main characters in these stories. In the first, entitled "Goodbye", we follow Eva, fifty-nine years old. Yoga teacher, she sings about life, she breathes happiness. She loves her freedom since she got a tidy sum of money by selling her luxurious condo. Widowed for two years, she is seduced by one of her students, and very quickly, they plan to get married. But at a prenuptial banquet, her children rebel. Indeed, the future spouse refuses to sign a separation of property at the notary. They fear that he is ill-intentioned. So Éva decides to share her property with her children. But was it the right thing to do? Not so sure since her children move away from them once they get the money. Eva then feels herself dying slowly…
Trials that leave traces
Difficult trials, each of the characters of these eight stories will live. Betrayals, indifference, jealousy, toxic love, loneliness… are all subjects treated in Bernard Anton's short stories. Many of these stories are harsh, others simply sad. And they are all the more poignant because we have become attached to these characters to whom fate plays bad tricks. They do everything to succeed, everything to love their neighbor, everything for their happiness and that of others. But fate will have decided otherwise.
After the rain comes the good weather
Fortunately, there is always a time or another when a spark comes to illuminate their lives, an event that gives them courage and joy of life. But will it be enough for them to continue their happy path?
Bernard Anton, a feather to discover
Bernard Anton's short stories are very easy to read. He has a writing accessible to all, and never, despite the circumstances, one feels uncomfortable. We get attached, we feel sad, we would like everything to end well for the characters, and even if it ends badly, we enjoyed the moments we spent with each of them. The reading is fluid, and leaves a special place for the poetry of which the author is so fond!
